Get Free Shipping on orders over $79
The Last Sultan : The Life and Times of Ahmet Ertegun - Robert Greenfield

The Last Sultan

The Life and Times of Ahmet Ertegun

By: Robert Greenfield

Paperback | 6 November 2012

At a Glance

Paperback


$58.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $14.69 with

 or 

Ships in 10 to 15 business days

The definitive biography of Ahmet Ertegun—founder of Atlantic Records, the man behind stars from Ray Charles to the Rolling Stones—“mesmerizing, entertaining, informative.”*

Ahmet Ertegun signed or recorded many of the greatest musical artists of all time. Working alongside his older brother, Nesuhi, one of the preeminent jazz producers of all time, and the legendary Jerry Wexler, who produced great soul artists like Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke, and Aretha Franklin, Ertegun transformed Atlantic Records from a small independent record label into a hugely profitable multinational corporation.

     “A man with golden ears, a wicked sense of humor and a taste for living second to none” (New York Daily News), Ertegun lived in the grand manner but was never happier than when he found himself in some down-and-out joint listening to music late at night. He brought rock 'n' roll into the mainstream while creating the music that became the sound track for the lives of multiple generations.

     With supporting characters like Steve Ross, Henry Kissinger, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ruth Brown, Bobby Darin, Sonny and Cher, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Led Zeppelin, and a host of others, The Last Sultan is the fascinating story of a man who always lived by his own rules.

Industry Reviews
"Mesmerizing, entertaining, informative. . . . There are a great many delicious stories in this page-turning work. . . . A vivid portrait of Ertegun but also a colorful panorama of the indie record-business during and after its rough-and-tumble years, when bootleggers sold as many singles as the real labels, gangsters were always angling to squeeze in on the action, and payola was just part of the cost of doing business."

--Tom Nolan, "San Francisco Chronicle

"


"An excellent biography of a titan in the music industry."

--"Booklist" (starred review)


"Ahmet Ertegun was a man who loved his music and wanted others to hear what may otherwise have gone unheard. . . . We first met when the Stones signed up with Atlantic. The stories began to flow and a lot of them are in these pages. Robert Greenfield has done a masterful job of relating them. . . . I shall miss Ahmet. He was a great man and a great friend!"

--Keith Richards


"Ahmet Ertegun was a man of passion, loyalty, generosity and fun, both sacred and profane, who could target like a laser what was authentic and worthwhile in the many worlds he bestrode so seamlessly and successfully. Greenfield's fascinating biography, "The Last Sultan", gets it right, and I envy readers their opportunity to experience the life and times of this extraordinary man."

--Henry Kissinger


"I found Robert Greenfield's book on Bill Graham to be one of the best researched music business biographies ever. Now with "The Last Sultan", he's topped himself. Ahmet Ertegun is not an easy subject--he was both indelible and opaque--but Greenfield has dug deeper than anyone ever has, to reveal one of the most complex Americans of the last half century."

--Taylor Hackford, Director/Producer of "Ray"


"In many ways, this book is the Bible of rock 'n' roll. A sacred tale rooted in the incredible life journey of my friend Ahmet Ertegun who touched not only me but also so many other people in so many ways."

--Kid Rock


"Robert Greenfield has written a loving, vividly detailed and utterly compelling history of one of the most fascinating lives of the twentieth century. Not only do you get an insider's account of the building of the record industry and the high times of the rock and roll circus, but of the worldly education of a young man in the diplomatic world of the European capitals and Washington D.C., and American high society in New York's modern heyday. "The Last Sultan" is the remarkable odyssey of a truly remarkable man."

--Jann Wenner, Editor, Publisher and Founder of "Rolling Stone"

Other Editions and Formats

ePUB

Published: 8th November 2011

Instant Digital Delivery to your Kobo Reader App

More in Arts & Entertainment Biographies

Oh, Biscuits! : The Little (Grown-Up) Guide to Bluey - OH
Wes Anderson : The Iconic Filmmaker and his Work - Ian Nathan

RRP $59.99

$44.75

25%
OFF
In Love and Death : The Lost Notebook - Bert McCracken
Love Like This : A Memoir - Natalie Bassingthwaighte

SIGNED COPY

RRP $36.99

$26.99

27%
OFF
Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! : My Memoir - Liza Minnelli

RRP $55.00

$39.99

27%
OFF
Saoirse : The Work, Life, and Style of Saoirse Ronan - Kaila Hale-Stern
Famesick : A Memoir - Lena Dunham

RRP $34.99

$24.99

29%
OFF
Someone Like Me - Penny Lancaster

RRP $49.99

$38.75

22%
OFF
Love Stories - Trent Dalton

Hardcover

RRP $34.99

$28.75

18%
OFF
Just Kids - Patti Smith

Paperback

RRP $26.99

$21.75

19%
OFF
Born A Crime : Stories from a South African Childhood - Trevor Noah
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

Paperback

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF
Vagabond - Tim Curry

Hardcover

RRP $55.00

$42.75

22%
OFF
Cat On The Road To Findout : The Official Autobiography - Yusuf
Average at Best : A memoir from the creator of Pub Choir® - Astrid Jorgensen
The Uncool - Cameron Crowe

Paperback

RRP $36.99

$29.75

20%
OFF
It's a Scorcher! : Tales of the Australian summer - William McInnes

RRP $34.99

$28.75

18%
OFF
Diddly Squat : A Year on the Farm - Jeremy Clarkson

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF